


Because I love you (is not a very good alibi)

by bunbondoeswriting



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Blackmail, Bulges and Nooks (Homestuck), Character Death, Drug Use, Drugs, Emotional Manipulation, Family Issues, Gen, Guilt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Jealousy, Kidnapping, M/M, Manipulation, Masturbation, Mental Health Issues, Mentions of Foster Care system, Mutual Masturbation, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Slight OOC, Slow Burn, Stalking, Threats of Violence, Voyeurism, ish?, yandere karkat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:34:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24516982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunbondoeswriting/pseuds/bunbondoeswriting
Summary: Eridan has never met Karkat before today, but he’s known Eridan for months. He's been stalking him without him knowing, learning his routine. Eridan has noticed certain things of his going missing, but assumes he’s only being forgetful. Karkat finally decides to approach him, and evidently gets tangled up in family matters while also trying to keep everyone else away from Eridan romantically.
Relationships: Cronus Ampora/Rufioh Nitram/Horuss Zahhak, Eridan Ampora/Karkat Vantas, Jack Noir/Ms. Paint, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Past Gamzee Makara/Tavros Nitram, past Gamzee Makara & Karkat Vantas
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. Eridan doesn't know what he's gotten himself into.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off an RP I'm currently in the middle of on MXRP between me and ForeverHonks(it wont let me list them as a co creator). I was Karkat, they were Eridan. Edited a bit to remove bits I saw as unnecessary, and also fixed up for grammar, spelling, changed everything to match in tense, and looks less like a roleplay.

Eridan has never met Karkat before today, but he’s known Eridan for months. He's been stalking him without him knowing, learning his routine. Eridan has noticed certain things of his going missing, but assumes he’s only being forgetful. He’s at his favorite coffee shop when Karkat approaches him, tapping him on the shoulder. Karkat shifts from foot to foot awkwardly, twiddling his thumbs and avoiding eye contact. “UHH, HI. IM… KARKAT.” Eridan sets his cup down and tilts the top of his laptop down, looking up at him. He lifts a brow. He's definitely not used to being approached in public, “hello? im eridan. did you need somethin?”  
“OH, I JUST WANTED TO... INTRODUCE MYSELF. CAN WE MAYBE... HANG OUT? OT SOMETHING. YOURE REALLY PRETTY.”  
“i- ..sure. go ahead and take a seat. and thank you for that,” Eridan smiles, motioning to the seat beside him.  
Karkat smiles sort of awkwardly, sitting beside Eridan, maybe a little too close. “NO PROBLEM. YOU REALLY ARE. VERY PRETTY.” He looked intently at Eridan, almost staring. Eridan scoots away just a little, a little nervous. “thank you? i suppose you aint a bad sight yourself. howws your day been?”  
“ITS BEEN PRETTY GOOD. NOT TOO INTERESTING. THANKS. FOR THE COMPLIMENT. I DONT THINK TOO HIGHLY IF MY OWN LOOKS.”  
”you should. youvve got a lot of desireable features. anybody could wwant you.”  
Karkat blushes, looking away. Holy, shit, he thinks Karkat is good looking? That can't be right. “AH, YOURE JUST SAYING THAT…”  
“wwhat reason wwould i havve to say that out of the blue? expect nothin but honesty from me,” Eridan shrugs, lifting a brow  
Karkat looks back at Eridan, watching him. “I DONT KNOW. NOBODY ELSE HAS EVER SAID I HAVE ;DESIRABLE FEATURES.’” (Try creepy, or unsettling. Its tough to not have any friends because you stalk people you like.)  
Eridan just shakes his head, “if you dont knoww wwhy id randomly say it, then its genuine.”  
“I GUESS, ILL TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT,” Karkat smiles widely, still watching Eridan.  
Eridan nods, lifting a brow at him. “do you wwanna go get a coffee or somethin..? im just wwritin emails here, dont wwant you to be bored”  
“OH, IM... NOT A BIG COFFEE PERSON. ITS FINE, IM NOT BORED.”  
“theyvve got tea and snacks here too, just sayin.” Karkat leans over, looking at Eridan's computer over his shoulder.  
“IM GOOD.” Eridan is emailing his boss, and the email chain is a little odd. His boss is just a bit flirty with him and he remains cold to it, more bothered than anything. Karkat narrows his eyes, memorizing the email address of his boss. “IS YOUR BOSS LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME?”  
“like wwhat?” Eridan asks, lifting a brow at him and looking back at him.  
“LIKE, COMING ONTO YOU?”  
“flirtatious or wwhatevver? yeah. hes been wworse, its fine.”  
Karkat stops himself from growling, sitting back and taking out his phone. He can probably pay that hacker guy to get more info on that guy with his email. “ITS KIND OF NOT? WHY DOES HE TALK TO YOU LIKE THAT?”  
“yeah. i mean, like i said, its been wworse, it doesnt really matter. cant report him to HR or wwhatevver. i just gotta deal wwith it” Karkat scowls at his phone, tapping away. He argues with Sollux for a while before sending him the money so he can get the info.  
“SO HOW'S LIFE BEEN TREATING YOU?” He puts his phone in his pocket and faces Eridan again.  
“eh. its been okay,” He shrugs, sipping his coffee. “its kinda messy, yknoww? been dealin wwith wwork and home and evverythin in betwween.”  
“YEAH, LIFE GETS KINDA COMPLICATED... I THINK ITS GONNA GET A LITTLE BRIGHTER FOR YOU SOON, ANYWAY.”  
“thanks for that hope, kar,” He smiles softly, “i doubt it though.”  
Karkat smiles back. “I DONT DOUBT IT AT ALL.”  
Eridan just shakes his, still smiling “youre super swweet.”  
Karkat chuckles a little. “THANKS... IM GLAD YOU THINK SO. I DONT GET THAT A LOT.”  
“wwhy wwouldnt you?” Eridan asks quietly, looking at him.  
Karkat shrugs. “I WOULDNT KNOW. I DONT HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS.”  
“really? thats a surprise. you seem likeable enough.”  
“EH, ITS WHATEVER. IM NOT USUALLY VERY SOCIAL, AND PEOPLE TEND TO AVOID ME.”  
“thats unfortunate. maybe you just havvent found the right people yet. youll get there,” Eridan smiles wider.  
“THANKS FOR THAT. ITS REALLY NICE OF YOU TO SAY.”  
“i do my best to be nice. it took a wwhile for me to get that wway. i used to be hateful.”  
“OH, REALLY? THATS GOOD. MY STUCK UP SELF-RIGHTEOUS BROTHER WOULD BE PROUD. NO, BUT, REALLY, THATS A GOOD THING. GOOD FOR YOU.”  
“my older brother used to be like that, so trust me, i knoww,” He chuckles softly. “and thank you. noww lets hear somethin about you”  
“OH, UHM. I REALLY LIKE ROMANCE BOOKS AND MOVIES. THEYRE MY FAVORITE. I SORT OF CONSIDER MYSELF AN EXPERT…”  
“oh really noww? you evver play match maker?” Eridan chuckled.  
:I MEAN, A LITTLE, YEAH. ITS JUST SO HARD TO STAY OUT OF IT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT THEYRE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER. I PAIRED UP MY BEST FRIEND WITH HIS CRUSH... BEFORE HE DISSAPEARED.”  
“wwhat do you mean..?”  
“I DON'T KNOW. ONE DAY HE BLEW A GASKET OR SOMETHING, FLIPPED THE FUCK OUT AND WE NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NICER TO HIM…”  
“wwait- wwho disappeared? best friend or his crush?”  
“BEST FRIEND. I KNOW IT WASNT ENTIRELY MY FAULT, HE WAS ALWAYS A LITTLE MESSED UP IN THE HEAD. BUT I CANT HELP FEELING I COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO PREVENT IT.”  
“wwho wwas your best friend? wwhat wwas he like?” Now he's curious about it.  
“AH, I DON'T WANNA SAY HIS NAME, FOR HIS SAKE. HE WAS REALLY NICE. HE WAS CLINGY AND A LITTLE DOPEY. HE WAS ALWAYS HIGH, DID SOME HARDCORE DRUGS, WHICH I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT. HE WAS LANKY AND TALL, BIG, FLUFFY HAIR AND CURVY HORNS, ALWAYS WORE FACEPAINT. HE PROBABLY HAD IT PRETTY ROUGH, HE GOT PICKED ON A LOT, AND HIS DAD WAS NEVER AROUND. I PICKED ON HIM A LITTLE, TOO, BUT I NEVER THOUGHT HE MINDED.”  
“thats...awwful really. he sounds like he wwas a pretty good guy. wwho wwas his crush?”  
“SOME GUY, REALLY SWEET AS WELL, REALLY LIKED ANIMALS. HE PLAYED FIDUSPAWN, PROBABLY WAY TOO MUCH FOR ALL HE *DIDNT* FIGHT THE ANIMALS. HAD AN ACCIDENT A WHILE BACK THAT PARALIZED HIM FROM THE WAIST DOWN. HAD A MOWHAWK AND WAY TOO BIG BULL HORNS, AND A NOSE RING TO MATCH.”  
“a nose ringg? thats sounds pretty sick. wwish my friends wwere that cool. wwell. one of thems gothy but hes also one big ball of wweird.”  
Karkat snorts. “HE MIGHT HAVE HAD A NOSE RING, BUT HE WAS ANYTHING BUT COOL. I MEAN- *He sighs.* HE WAS PRETTY NICE TO BE AROUND. HE JUST, WASNT VERY WELL LIKED. HE HAD A STUTTER, COULDNT STAND UP FOR HIMSELF WORTH SHIT, METAPHORICALLY AS WELL AS LITERALLY. HE GOT PICKED ON A LOT, TOO.”  
“poor guy, then. still, he sounds pretty good if he wwas nice and not an asshole like evveryone else. hed get along wwith fef.”  
“YEAH, I MEAN, HE AND G- ER- MY FRIEND BOTH WENT THROUGH A LOT, BUT THEY WERE BOTH SWEET. I DONT KNOW WHERE HE IS NOW. HE KIND OF, WENT INTO A PIT OF DEPPRESSION AFTER HIS THEN-BOYFRIEND DISSAPEARED.”  
“awwwwww..id go talk to him if i could. he havve trollian?”  
“I DONT KNOW IF ITS STILL ACTIVE, OR IF HE CHANGED IT. I HAVENT HEARD FROM HIM IN YEARS. BUT, LAST I KNEW, IT WAS ADIOSTOREADOR. HE MIGHT NOT TALK TO YOU IF HE DOESNT KNOW YOU, THOUGH.”  
“wwell see. if you wwant my trollian, its caligulasaquarium. been that since i wwas maybe 5?”  
Karkat nods, taking his phone back out and looking it up. He sends Eridan a quick message. “ALRIGHT, I JUST TROLLED YOU. YOU SHOULD HAVE A MESSAGE FROM CARCINOGENETICIST”  
Eridan opens up the app on his home page, looking at it. “yep, got it. ill respond later though, since i havve the real one right here.”  
“YEAH, MAKES SENSE.”  
“this is pretty nice. got to hang out wwith someone neww today and not my brother and his boyfriends.”  
Karkat chuckled. “YEAH. IT IS NICE. I REALLY LIKE BEING AROUND YOU.”  
“i like bein around you too. but, unfortunately, ivve gotta go. ill message you later, yeah?”  
Karkat nods. “YEAH. TALK TO YOU LATER.”  
Eridan packs his bag up and nods, smiling at him. He goes and throws his cup away before he's out the door, heading for his hive. Karkat gives him a head start before following behind him, careful not to be caught, as always. Eridan gets to his hive, unlocking the door and heading inside. He leaves his key in the door, not bothering to try and wrestle it out. He goes inside and heads up to his room. Karkat opens the door and slips inside silently. He slips the key out of the door and hangs it up on the nail, creeping after Eridan.Eridan sits up in his room, at his desk, which is facing away from his door. He opens up trollian, going to message Karkat back. Karkat quickly mutes his phone as he slips into Eridan's closet. He watches Eridan's screen carefully. Eridan sends him a nice reply, a hello and tells him about how much fun he had. Then he's scrolling through his computer, doing fuck all for a bit. Karkat reads the message, telling him he had fun too and settles in to watch Eridan. He figures he might be here a while. Eridan is on his computer for a while, switching between messaging Karkat and playing random games or doing work. He messages a couple other people too, one CT and CC specifically. Karkat watches his messages carefully, assessing whether or not these others are threats to him. He keeps replying to Eridan, but is careful not to take his eyes off his computer for too long. They don't seem to be. He sends diamonds to CC, who's most likely his moirail. Then there's CT, who's nervous with him, but it doesn't seem to be in a "crush on him" way, but more of his general demeanor Karkat takes in this information, but still pays Sollux to look them up too. Just to be safe. He continues to watch Eridan, who eventually shuts his computer off, bidding karkat a nice farewell before he goes. Then he heads to his dresser to get changed. Karkat says goodnight as well, hiding in the closet while he watches Eridan start to change. He licks his lips a little. Eridan slides his scarf off, then his shirt, tossing them in a pile by the closet. After that its off with the rest of his clothes. Then he starts digging for pajamas. Karkat bites his lip as he watches Eridan strip, starting to rub at himself through his pants. Eridan looks nice, his top a bit slimmer than the bottom, he's almost got a pear shape. He's got a small bit of muscle, but other than that, he looks delicate and graceful. Karkat gets more comfortable, slipping his hand in his pants and rubbing over his nook lips. Eventually, after much indecisiveness, Eridan concludes fuck it. He'll sleep naked. He sighs and flops down onto his stomach on his bed, faced away from the closet as well. Karkat covers his mouth with one hand, slipping a finger into his nook with the other. Fuck, Eridan is so attractive. He's definitely well rounded in the back, and he's got nice, wide hips. His nook is also on display, the way his legs are splayed. Karkat slips another finger in his nook, choking back a moan. They way Eridan is, it's almost like he's putting himself on display, just for Karkat. Eridan yawns softly, stretching his arms and legs a bit before he's back on his phone, watching whatever on grubtube. Karkat feels his bulge start to unsheath and wrap around his wrist, and he slips a third finger into his nook. Eridan finishes with grubtube a bit later, going to go play some idle games for a bit. He holds back noises, accidentally letting out a whimper. He bites into his palm and hopes Eridan didn't hear it. Eridam tenses slightly, looking around a bit. He looks back at the closet briefly before shrugging and going back to his phone. Karkat lets out his breath, thrusting his fingers in and out of his nook. Eridan shifts around a bit more before he finds a comfy position to lay in. On his back, one leg hanging off the bed, the other arched up. Karkat speeds up his fingers, teeth digging into his hand. Eridan plays on his phone, unknowing of the troll masturbating to his naked body in the closet, while Karkat digs in the back of the closet for something to come into, grabbing a random pail buried somewhere in the back. It doesn't even look like it had ever been used, it was one of the government-given ones that everyone got when they were 7 sweeps. He didn't have any others. He'd never needed one. Karkat pulled down his pants and underwear, positioning it between his legs as he thrusted his fingers into his nook. He came into the pail, biting down hard into his hand, then collapsed backward, still observing Eridan. Eridan has put his phone away now and is cleaning off his glasses before bed. Karkat pulls his pants back up and pushes the bucket into the back of the closet again. He relaxes and continues to watch Eridan, waiting for him to go to sleep. Eridan puts his glasses to the side, then gets snuggled under the covers. He settles in for the night, and he's asleep ten minutes later. Karkat sneaks out of the closet, taking the bucket with him. He makes his way out the window, dumping and cleaning the bucket before leaving. He checks his phone for a notification from Sollux while he leaves. He's texted back information on Eridan's boss, but he's still working on the other two. The only information he has is their blood color so far. Karkat looks at the address before typing it into his GPS to pay him a little visit. He thanks Sollux and tips him, following the GPS instructions in the dead of night, taking back roads whenever possible. Eridan’s boss is at his hive, a cerulean. He lives a bit further out from most other things. Karkat enters quietly, leaving a few minutes later, his clothes, face, and hands splattered in cerulean. He goes home to clean up and sleep until tomorrow. He suspects that tomorrow will not be a slow day for the news.


	2. Work gets difficult, but at least Eridan has a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat might be a little bit of a creep. But we already knew that.

Karkat was right. The next day, news is floating around quickly of the incident, after his matesprit found him and called a legislacerator. Karkat ignores the news in the morning, confident in having not left any evidence. He arrives at the coffee shop exactly one minute before Eridan usually does. Eridan looks hella stressed as he gets his coffee and goes to sit down, not even bothering with his computer. Karkat sits beside him again, tilting his head. “IS SOMETHING WRONG?”   
“fuckin EVVERYTHIN” Eridan sighs, burying his head in his arms with a frustrated sigh.   
Karkat pats him on the back, resting his head on the table. “YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT?”  
“my fuckin boss died last night so noww wwork is goin to be hell until they find a replacement for him.”   
“OH. THAT... SUCKS. I HOPE THEY GET IT UNDER CONTROL SOON.”   
“i do too but jesus fuckin christ. that shit doesnt get to be taken lightly.”   
“YEAH, THATS AWFUL.”   
“noww wwe got double the wwork and wwere bein invvestigated as suspects.”   
Karkat nods, furrowing his eyebrows. “YEAH, THATS TOTALLY SUCKY.”   
Eridan sighs, nodding. “this is fucked up as shit..god i hope they find wwhoevver did it”   
Karkat knows they never will. “YEAH, ME TOO. CRAZY SHIT, KNOWING YOU COULD JUST DIE ANY DAY…”   
Eridan nods, taking a miserable sip of his coffee. “this is insane…”   
Karkat wraps his arm around Eridan. “YEAH. YOU JUST NEVER EXPECT IT, DO YOU?”   
Eridan shook his head, leaning on Karkat slightly. “i wwish id knowwn or somethin coulda said somethin nicer before he died.”   
“BUT, WASNT HE, LIKE, BEING CREEPY TO YOU? WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE NICE TO HIM?”   
“because he wwas my fuckin boss and hes dead.”   
“... I DONT KNOW... JUST BECAUSE HES DEAD DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LIKE HIM, DOES IT? I MEAN, YEAH, THAT SUCKS, AND YOU SHOULD BE RESPECTFUL AND ALL THAT, BUT IF HE WAS AN ASSHOLE, YOU DONT REALLY NEED TO REGRET NOT BEING NICER…”   
“i dont think you understand howw grief fuckin wworks.”   
Karkat got quiet, putting his hands together in his lap and staring at them. “SORRY... I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP…”   
“i knoww, and i appreciate it, but still. it fucks wwith your head”   
“I- YEAH. SORRY.”   
“its- fine. sorry i got snappy at you.”   
“NO, I UNDERSTAND, YOURE UPSET. HOPEFULLY SOON THEY GET THIS WHOLE MESS CLEANED UP.”   
“me too..fuck this sucks though. i still gotta do wwork…”   
“YEAH, WORK SUCKS DICK, ESPECIALLY AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ANYTHING ELSE BUGGING YOU?”   
“not really..im meant to go on a date later.” Karkat’s hands tighten around each other.   
“OH YEAH? GOOD FOR YOU. WHEN IS THE DATE?”   
“its at like, 6 tonight.”   
Karkat nods, looking around. “COOL... COOL.”   
“wwhy you askin?”   
“JUST... CURIOUS.”   
“fair,” Eridan shrugs, “i really hope it goes wwell. maybe ill get my first bucket fill.”   
Karkat coughed a little, swallowing thickly. “GOOD LUCK, THEN…”   
“wwhat? oh do you not like hearin like pailin-”   
“I- NO, IT, UH, MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE…”   
“awwww, sorry. ill keep in mind to not mention it”   
Karkat nods. “THANKS” He smiles softly.   
“didnt mean to offend.. . at least i knoww early on so i dont make you uncomfortable later”   
“UGH, YOU SOUND LIKE MY FUCKING BROTHER. ITS FINE, OKAY? DONT WORRY ABOUT IT, ITS NOT YOUR FAULT.”   
“sorry for that too i guess- just dont wwanna make my neww friend uncomfy”   
Karkat laughs. “ITS FINE, DUDE.”   
Eridan smiles a bit. “alright if you say so. wwhatvve you been up to?”   
Karkat thinks for a minute. “ER, NOT MUCH. JUST, YOU KNOW, SAME OLD SAME OLD. I HAVE COLLEGE STUFF, HAVING TO DEAL WITH MY FAMILY CAUSE I STILL LIVE WITH THEM FOR SOME REASON.”   
“wwhats up wwith your family?”   
“WELL, MY BROTHER DOESNT KNOW HOW TO SHUT UP, MY DAD STABS SHIT WHEN HES UPSET, AND MY MOM... WELL, SHES PRETTY SWEET ACTUALLY.”   
“wwhos your mom?”   
“HER NAME'S MISSY PAINT-NOIR. SHES A TEACHER AT THE ELEMENTARY. NO IDEA WHY SHE MARRIED MY DAD, THEYRE PRETTY MUCH POLAR OPPOSITES.”   
“oh? wwhos your dad?”   
“JACK NOIR. HE USED TO BE A FUCKING GANG MEMBER BEFORE HE MET MY MOM. HE ADOPTED ME AND KANKRI WHEN WE WERE, LIKE, 6, BUT WE KEPT OUR LAST NAMES AS VANTAS.”   
“ohhhh. that sounds like fun. ivve got three brothers, 2 dads, but i dont knoww twwo of my brothers and my other dad.”   
“OH. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE?”   
“i knoww my other dad barely”   
“HMM. I NEVER REALLY KNEW MY BIOLOGICAL PARENTS. THEY DIED WHEN WE WERE REALLY YOUNG AND WE SPENT THE FIRST BIT OF OUR LIVES IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.”   
“hm, howw wwas that?”   
“PRETTY SUCKY. WE KEPT GETTING PASSED FROM SHITTY HOME TO SHITTY HOME FOR, WELL, YEARS UNTIL WE WERE ADOPTED.”   
“is your home noww any better?”   
“YEAH. JACK MIGHT STAB SHIT OFTEN BUT HES NEVER BEEN VIOLENT TOWARDS US. AND, MISSY TAKES CARE OF US PRETTY WELL.”   
“thats good! id like to meet them some day.”   
Karkat laughed. “MAYBE YOU WILL.”   
“maybe. itd be pretty cool to do it. im sure my dad wwould like you.”   
Karkat smiled, looking at Eridan. “REALLY?”   
“really. hes super cool. just dont mention my dad or brothers.”   
“ALRIGHT, NOTED. WHO IS YOUR DAD, ANYWAY?”   
“my other one? his names garroth, i just call him papa though.”   
“OKAY, SO YOU DONT KNOW WHO YOUR OTHER TWO BROTHERS ARE? WHATS THE FIRST ONE LIKE?”   
“i dont knoww. they divvorced wwhen me and my other brother wwere babies. cronus wwas 6”  
Karkat nods. “AH. THAT MUST HAVE BEEN ROUGH ON... WELL, ALL OF YOU, HUH?”  
“yeah… dad said cronus threww a fit and wwas pretty vviolent for the first year or so.”   
“WELL, SHIT. YOU WERE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER THAT, WERENT YOU?”   
“like i said, wwe wwere baby babies so no, i dont remember”   
Karkat nods, watching Eridan. He'd scooted closer to Eridan while they were talking, and their thighs brushed together. Eridan doesn't seem to notice yet, continuing on his rambling. “papa doesnt get vvisitation, but cronus used to go ovver anywway. the court just kind of..let it go.”   
“SO WAS HE CRONUS' FAVORITE? OR CRONUS JUST LOVED THEM BOTH?”   
“he wwas cros favvorite not by a lot, he still lovved them both”   
Karkat nods again, placing a hand on Eridan's thigh and resting it there. Eridan blushes slightly, looking down at it, then back at Karkat, who scoots a little closer, hand still on Eridan's thigh. “uh- wwhatre you doin?” Eridan asks. Karkat pulls his hand back, scooting away.   
“UHM, N-NOTHING. I WASNT DOING ANYTHING.”   
“i- i get it as a comfortin gesture. dont wworry too hard.”   
“YEAH, THATS WHAT I MEANT IT AS.” He pulled out his phone, checking again for updates from Sollux. He's gotten some info on CT, saying that CC was harder to get to. Karkat sighed, putting his phone up and looking back at Eridan. “SO, ANY OTHER INTERESTING NEWS?”  
“not really at the moment. noww im just wwonderin wwho my twwin is …”   
“IF YOU KNOW ONE OF YOUR OTHER DAD'S ONLINE ACCOUNTS, I HAVE SOMEONE WHO COULD LOOK INTO THEM AND SEE IF HE COULD FIND OUT. ITS NOT 100 PERCENT GUARANTEED, THOUGH, AND ITS NOT FREE.”   
“i dont knoww any of his contact info. again, wwe dont havve contact, he doesnt havve vvisitation.”   
“HMM... YOU SAID HIS FIRST NAME IS GARROTH? IT MIGHT WORK IF I GIVE HIM A NAME, BUT ITS EVEN LESS OF A GUARANTEE WITHOUT CONTACT INFO.”   
“all i knoww is his name is garroth and hes a juggalo.”   
“HMM. THAT... MIGHT HELP. ILL CHECK IN WITH THE GUY.” Karkat takes out his phone and talks with Sollux again, promising to pay him triple if he gets it for him.   
Eridan nods, sighing softly. “youre wway nice for this like, really i appreciate it oh, one more thin, hes a convvicted felloww charged wwith drug possession, sellin, and usage.”   
Karkat forwards the information to Sollux. “AND HE GOT CUSTODY OF YOUR OTHER BROTHERS? yeah, he did. zomehoww. WHAT THE FUCK. I KNOW PURPLEBLOODS, IM ASSUMING HES A PURPLE BECAUSE OF THE JUGGALO THING, USUALY GET AWAY WITH THAT KINDA SHIT EASIER, BUT HOLY FUCKING CRAP.”   
“yeah, hes a purple.”   
“OKAY. MY GUY SAYS HES GONNA DO WHAT HE CAN.”  
“uhh, if it helps, my dads name is orpheus ampora.”   
Karkat tells Sollux that Garroth has been married to and had a divorce with Orpeus Ampora. “THAT ACTUALLY MIGHT HELP, YEAH. ANY INFORMATION ON HIM OR HIS FAMILY, REALLY.”   
“he has twwo sets of twwins, me and my brother cronus. ALRIGHT. then wwhoevver our respectivve twwins are”   
“GOT IT. IF THATS EVERYTHING, ALL WE HAVE TO DO NOW IS WAIT.”  
“yeah..thank you for this, and thanks to your friend too. id really lovve to knoww my dad.”   
“UM, I DONT KNOW IF ID QUITE CALL HIM MY FRIEND, BUT ILL SEND YOUR THANKS TO HIM. AND ITS NO PROBLEM. IM KIND OF CURIOUS TOO.”   
“maybe i can take you wwith me! YEAH, OKAY. THAT WOULD BE NICE and if he does get vviolent then you can be there to help me go awway. you could also be a wwitness.”   
“HUH. YEAH, I HADNT EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT. OKAY.”   
“great! this is great! thank you.” Eridan splits into a grin, wrapping an arm around Karkat in a half hug. Karkat quickly covers his face to hide his blush.   
“YEAH, N-NO PROBLEM, MAN.”   
Eridan lifts a brow. “are you okay? its okay if you blush.”   
“IM FINE! EVERYTHING IS FINE.” Karkat doesn't stop covering his face. Eridan reaches up to grab his hand, gently trying to tug it away, but Karkat keeps his hands there. “REALLY! IM OKAY…”   
“okay…” Eridan sighs, putting his hand down.   
Karkat waits for himself to stop blushing before he removes his hands. “SORRY... I JUST- SORRY.” He stares at his lap.   
“wwhats wwrong wwith blushin kar?” Eridan asks, raising a brow.   
Karkat hesitates. “ITS JUST THAT IM- ITS NOTHING. IM JUST... SHY. ABOUT IT.”  
“awwww..thats fine, really. do you need me to not touch you? are you sensitivve?”   
“I- UHM, N-NO, YOU JUST CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE. IS ALL. YOU DONT HAVE TO NOT TOUCH ME…”   
“okay, okay. ill ask before i do, just in case?”   
“OKAY. THATS GOOD. THANKS.”   
“swweet. i do havve to get goin again, im sorry.” Eridan leaves around the same time every day. Karkat nods, letting Eridan leave and giving him a five minute head start before following, like always.   
Eridan heads back to his hive, again, but he hops on his computer to finish up work this time. Karkat watches him silently, checking his phone for updates from Sollux really quick. He's slowly getting info to him, starting with his last name. Makara. Karkat recognizes that last name- that's- but he can't be sure. He thanks Sollux and goes back to watching Eridan work. Eridan finishes up work after a bit, Sollux all the while sending information, as well as the guy's face, taken from his mugshots in prison. Eridan goes to an incognito tab after he's done with work. The more info Karkat gets, the more it confirms his suspicions. He sends Sollux some of the money he promised and asks him to find out who his sons are. He watches Eridan with piqued interest after he opens the incognito tab. Sollux gets the names to him. Kurloz and...Gamzee. Eridan goes to pornhub, as is expected of someone opening up an incognito tab. Karkat pays Sollux and puts his phone up. He can worry about that later.   
For now, he watches Eridan carefully. Eridan sorts through his videos before he finds a good one, turning his audio down a bit. He hovers his mouse over it so he remembers. He pulls a drawer open, grabbing a bottle of lube and a toy. Karkat bites his lip and undoes the button on his jeans, pulling them down a little. Eridan works on getting his own striped pants off, his bulge already squirming to unsheathe. Karkat watches him intently, rubbing at his sheath through his underwear already. Eridan slowly strokes his bulge to unsheathe. He clicks the video, then grabs the lube, slicking his fingers and his nook with it. Karkat mirrors Eridan's actions on his bulge, rubbing at his nook to create natural lubrication in place of actual lube. Since Eridan is a seadweller, he's not able to create a natural lubricant like landdwellers. He slowly starts to slide his finger into his nook, but hisses in pain at a certain part, removing his hand quickly and just moving to his bulge instead. Karkat watches Eridan curiously, slipping two fingers in his own nook with ease. There's part of Eridan’s nook unbroken because he's never had anything up there. Breaking it hurts, but he can't reach the level of pleasure to mask it by himself. He moves back to his entrance. Karkat fucks himself on his fingers, watching Eridan's hand as it moves. He bites his lip. It moves back to his other entrance and he crawls up on his knees, balancing himself on the desk. Karkat slips a third finger in his nook as he watches, breathing heavily. Eridan slips a finger in with ease. Then another, rocking back on them. Karkat pumps his fingers in and out of his nook, squeezing his bulge softly. Eridan groans softly, head filling with the thought of his real first time with someone else. Hopefully that will be tonight, with his date, which is nice and handsome as far as he knows. Karkat pumps his bulge while he slides his fingers in and out of his nook, hiding small whimpers underneath Eridan's own sounds. He imagines that Eridan knows he's there, and that he's just putting on a show, just for Karkat. Eridan is being slow with himself for now, bulge squirming on his thigh. He pauses after a bit, reaching for his toy. He quickly slicks it up before positioning it at his entrance. Karkat holds back a moan when he sees Eridan grab the toy. He wants so badly to jerk off fast, but he forces himself to take Eridan's pace, slightly edging himself. Eridan bites his lip and slowly pushes it in, back arching and he groans. He grinds back on his toy, moaning softly. Karkat groans softly when Eridan moans. He tries not to go too fast and make himself spill early, but it's so difficult. He does it anyway. Eridan thrusts the toy in moderately for a bit before slowly starting to get faster, talking to himself. Karkat strains to listen to what Eridan is saying while also keeping pace with him with his fingers. Eridan is begging himself to go faster, to be used as a pail, to be filled so full. It doesn't take much for his knees to start to shake. Karkat gropes back for the bucket he now knows is there, speeding up the hand in his nook as he listens to Eridan. He imagines that he's saying those words to him, begging Karkat for more, to go faster. He slows his fingers as that brings him dangerously close to coming, still looking for the bucket with his other hand. Eridan cries softly, no time for a pail. He releases quickly, all down his leg, half a bucket full. Karkat grabs the bucket and places it between his legs quickly before letting himself come, biting into his lip to prevent himself from crying out. He rides out his orgasm, rocking onto his fingers and panting as he keeps his eyes on Eridan, who's shaking, slowly leaning forward to rest on his desk as he slides the toy out of himself, groaning softly. Karkat puts the bucket aside and pulls his pants back up, resting against the wall of the closet as he pants heavily while watching Eridan. He regains his composure, putting everything away and cleaning up his space. Then he flops on his bed, bottomless, and snuggles in for sleep. Karkat checks the time. Maybe if Eridan sleeps long enough he'll forget about his date... Eridan grabs his phone, setting a timer for 15 minutes. Karkat snarls. He watches patiently, waiting for Eridan to fall asleep.   
Eridan drifts off to sleep after a bit, purring softly and dreaming of his date. Karkat creeps out of the closet, quietly approaching Eridan's bed. He hides behind the desk, reaching out to grab Eridan's phone. It's just in reach. Eridan's only move is to roll over onto his other side. Karkat snags the phone, sinking back into the shadows. He turns it on and attempts to unlock it. He doesn't really have a password, so he's able to get in with ease. Karkat turns off the alarm before setting the phone back- no, he decides to look through it, first. Without the alarm to wake Eridan, he figures he has plenty of time. He mutes Eridan's phone so it won't go off while he's snooping through it, hiding further in the shadows and turning the brightness down as well. Eridan has Grindr, idle games, notes, email, grubtube, and his contacts. Karkat checks Grindr first. That's most likely to be where he'd talked to his "date" about where to meet up, unless he knew them personally. It is indeed where they talked. They’ve agreed to meet in the downtown movie theatre at 6. The guy is some cerulean blood. He rolls his eyes. What was up with Eridan and ceruleans? Surely it doesn’t matter what blood he had as long as he loves him... He begins texting his findings to himself, looking for any more threats to his Eridan in Grindr, his email, and his contacts. A few past dates are listed, but they haven't talked in months. Emails are fine, the boss's emails are still there for police investigation. His contacts have his family, CT, CC, and AC. Satisfied, he deletes the texts to himself from Eridan's phone and places it back where it had been. He dumps and cleans the bucket like last night, creeping out the window to meet up with this cerulean blood. He’s waiting outside of the theatre in his car, which he'd described in an earlier conversation, waiting patiently for his cute date. Karkat taps on the window to get the guy's attention, scowling at him and gesturing for him to roll down his window. “HEY, HES NOT COMING, JUST SO YOU KNOW. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE.”   
“Hm? Who the hell are you?” The guy looks up from his phone, lifting a brow at him.   
“WHY THE FUCK DOES IT MATTER? ERIDAN'S NOT COMING. GET LOST.”   
“Do you even know the babe? Why the hell are you here trying to tell me this? Last I checked you don't speak for him”   
Karkat scowls even more. “OF COURSE I FUCKING KNOW HIM. AND DONT FUCKING CALL HIM A "BABE" IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE IM GONNA VOMIT. SOMETHING CAME UP AND HE CANT MAKE IT, SO, YOU CAN WASTE YOUR TIME, OR YOU CAN GO. THE FUCK. HOME.”   
“Okay? Cool. I text him later and see if we can set something else up. And I'll call him "babe" if I want. As far as I know, he's mine.”   
Karkat seethed with rage. He growled lowly, but stepped back away from his car. “OKAY. YOU GO DO THAT. BUT HES NOT. YOURS.”   
The dude shrugs, flipping his sunglasses up as he starts his car. “Then I'll make him mine. You're being creepy dude.” Karkat says nothing, watching him drive off.   
Karkat goes to a lake and throws in the pair of pliers he'd used to cut the guy's brakes. “NO, IM THE ONE WHOS GOING TO MAKE HIM MINE…”


	3. Of finding family, old and new.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite all odds, Eridan still thinks Karkat is a good person.

The next day, Karkat gets to the coffee shop a full five minutes ahead of schedule to wait for Eridan. He's feeling rather chipper, and orders a couple donuts while he waits. Eridan comes in later than usual with a tear stained face, settling for just a cup of black coffee. He goes to sit at his table, putting his head in his hands. Karkat forces himself to look more concerned than cheerful as he sits by Eridan. “WHATS WRONG?”   
“fuckin cod- fuck. i wwoke up late for my date, so i rushed to get there. he wwas already gone, so i text him to apologize. then i wwoke up this mornin and hed gotten into a car crash…” Eridan sniffed, wiping his eyes.   
Karkat put a hand on Eridan's shoulder. “WOW, DUDE, THATS REALLY... AWFUL. GOD, THAT MUST BE SO HARD ON YOU... IM SO SORRY.”   
Eridan just hiccuped and tried to hold back his tears. “he wwas so swweet, kar..he had a daughter too…”   
Karkat felt nothing. He'd stopped feeling anything for his victims the moment he felt they were a threat. The only person who mattered was Eridan, and him being sad was the only thing that put genuine upset in Karkat's voice when he said, “HOLY SHIT. THATS AWFUL. I HOPE SHES OKAY…”   
“shes 2..she doesnt havve anyone else either… i dont wwant her in foster care but i cant adopt her”   
Karkat bit his lip. He didn't want Eridan to feel guilty about this. “I COULD ASK MY PARENTS... KANKRI AND I ARE MOVING OUT SOON ENOUGH, AND THEY- WELL, MISSY, MOSTLY- HAVE TALKED ABOUT GETTING LONELY ONCE WERE GONE.”   
“maybe? shes a little cerulean girl named tiatia.”   
He nodded, taking out his phone and texting his parents. “WELL, I KNOW YOURE UPSET AND PROBABLY NOTHINGS GOING TO CHEER YOU UP FULLY, BUT I DID FIND OUT WHO YOUR DAD IS.”   
Eridan looks up at him through blurry eyes “hm? wwho is he? or, wwell, wwhat did you learn?”  
“HES GARROTH MAKARA. YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT HIS CRIMES AND CHARGES, BUT I LEARNED HIS NUMBER, ALL HIS SOCIAL MEDIA, HIS ADDRESS AS WELL. WELL, THE GUY I PAID DID IT, AND GAVE THE INFO TO ME. HE EVEN GOT A MUG SHOT OF HIM. AND, THERE'S ANOTHER THING. YOUR TWIN BROTHER IS MY OLD BEST FRIEND, THE ONE WHO DISSAPEARED. GAMZEE MAKARA.”   
“wwh- the crazy one? that..is..wweird. small wworld i guess that..i guess wwe can go vvisit soon then?”  
“YEAH, HE DOESNT LIVE TOO FAR AWAY, BUT I CANT DRIVE, SO YOULL HAVE TO TAKE US. AND, GAMZEE WASNT CRAZY, HE JUST... NEEDED EXTRA HELP.”   
“wwhy cant you drivve...?”   
“I... GOT MY LICENSE REVOKED. LONG STORY. ROAD RAGE.”   
“ohhh..i can totally drivve then. can wwe go today?”   
Karkat nodded. “YEAH, SURE. DEFINITELY.”   
Eridan wipes his eyes, smiling a little. “god..this is so important to me…”   
Karkat nods again, standing up. “LETS GO.” Eridan nods, sipping his coffee before heading out with it in hand. Karkat follows him to his vehicle, slipping in the passenger seat. “YOU GOT A GPS OR SOME SHIT?”   
“yeah, a course i do.” Eridan nods, getting into driver. Karkat messes with it a second, double checking the address on his phone before entering it into the GPS.   
“SHOULD BE ALL GOOD NOW, JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.” Eridan nods, putting the car in drive and buckling up before setting off. Karkat leans back, adjusting the seat. He talks with his parents on the way about Tiatia. They agree to adopt her, as long as Karkat helps raise her as long as he lives with them. “WE ALMOST THERE YET?” He looks up from his phone to Eridan.   
They're 3/4 of the way there, Eridan having taken a wrong turn and having to go back to get on the right path. “yeah just about”   
Karkat looks out the window at the passing houses. “OKAY, SWEET.” They arrive soon enough, and Eridan smiles, parking out on the street. Karkat hops out of the car, leaning on it. “THE GUY SAYS HE SHOULD BE HOME NOW. ARE YOU READY?” Eridan nods excitedly, trying to pull himself together and walk up the driveway to the porch. Karkat grabs his hand, squeezing it gently. “WHENEVER YOURE READY.”   
Eridan squeezes his back, leaning forward and knocking on the door. Theres no answer for a while. Then, a tall troll with long, wild hair, and huge curving horns opens the door, wearing a purple bathrobe. He looks down at them skeptically. Eridan smiles up at him, holding his other hand out for a shake. “hello. you probably dont recognize me, you havvent seen me since i wwas a baby. im eridan ampora, the name should be familiar.”   
The large troll looks them up and down once. “Yeah, it might. Who's this other motherfucker?”  
“this is my friend karkat” Eridan puts his hand down after bit. “he helped me get here. i wwanted to come see you because, wwell, youre my dad, and i nevver got to meet you or my brothers.”   
Garroth jerks his head back, motioning for them to come inside. “Y'ever think maybe there's a reason for that? Whatever, not like I ever turned your brother down…” He turns around and walks inside, not bothering to make sure they follow him.   
Eridan's a little put off, following behind him. “if its because of your prison charges, i dont really care about those.” He really cares for his dad, even if he doesn't know him well.   
Garroth sighs, leading Eridan to a living room with a bear rug and several heads mounted on the walls. “It's not that, persay, 's just that... I'm not very good at the whole "bein a parent" thing. I was only in charge a two kids, an i fucked one up an lost the other one.”   
“wwell youvve alwways got the ability to change that. i mean, im right here.” He smiles nervously, going to sit on the couch with Karkat, who's hand he'd held the entire time. He ignored the heads.   
“I don't think you…” He sighs. “Just, I'm here now, for you to talk to or whatever. Don't got my know on bout where either of your brothers are, though.”   
Eridan is clearly excited, bouncing his toes and smiling. “i dont mind. i wwanted to see you and talk to you. wwhat allvve you told cro? tell me.”   
“I don't quite remember all of it. This ole noggin a mine aint quite what it used ta be. Lemme see, i member him askin bout how your pa n i met... parrently he never talks bout me no more. That what you're lookin for? Me ta talk about what your other pa avoids?”   
He nods to him, smiling a bit wider. “i wwanna hear about it all. your marriage, howw us four came to be, wwhy you split, etc. i wwant to knoww you! mostly about us four. wwe are your bio kids, and pa nevver tells me anythin about that at all.”   
“Well, when Cro an 'loz were born, we was all but ecstatic, gettin to raise a fambly's one a life's greatest miracles. You already know Cro, grew up wit im, so im gonna put a pitcher of Kurloz in yer head real quick He was real quiet-like, even before the incident, always sneakin up on ya. He was really into that all hallows eve lookin shit, what with the skeletons. He got real good at being sneaky, could go right under your nose without you even noticin. Lemme tell you, it was somethin to raise both those bastards at the same time.” He chuckles a little.   
Eridan smiles at that, nodding. “sneaky..yeah i can see that. wwhat else wwas he like? wwas he nice? howw wwas it wwhen me an gam wwere born?”   
“Slow down a lil, would ya? Lemme see, 'loz was... kind of a mystery ta be honest, though I might jus be bad at tellin what kids are like. He got real close with this one girl, had a cat tail, and this other kid, skated a lot, had a lisp. His matesprit an his moirail. Got real nice with them an real mean with anyone what picked on em. He used to talk about em a lot, most he ever opened his mouth. Well, when you an 'zee was born, we was pretty shell shocked. Lemme tell you, we definitely weren't expecting another set a twins. It got... hectic. 'Loz got real protective a 'zee right away, and Cro got ta fussin about not gettin as much attention.”   
“wwhat wwas kurloz like wwith me? and wwhat wwas cro like wwith me? howw wwas cro like wwith gamzee?”   
Don't know why, but 'loz was always more attached ta 'zee. Maybe he knew 'fore the rest a us he'd need a special sorta care... He did take a small likin' ta you, too. I honestly think he saved your asses from Cro's jealousy more times n me an your pa did. Cro was a lil bitter, got ta misbehavin a whole lot more. Broke yall's toys a bunch. He sorta refused ta hold either a you.”  
“damn..did he evver really care for us or no? howw wwere gamzee and i wwith eachother? wwhat wwere both of us like as babies anywway?”   
“Well, Cro did end up carin about you a whole lot, as he tended ta tell me, an even apologized to 'zee. You an 'zee, well, I'd say ya got along just fine. You were always a little explorer, wanderin off, an an escape artist to boot, always gettin out a the playpen somehow. 'Zee was a lil adventurous, too, though he wasn't able ta get away like you could. He thought everythin new was facinatin, an put everythin he could get his little mitts on in his mouth.”   
“did i evver get myself in any sticky situations i couldnt get out of? did gamzee evver eat anythin he wwasnt supposed to? wwhat wwas the wworst situation BOTH of us got into?”   
“You got yourself stuck a whole lot, actually. One time we heard ya cryin, and couldn't find ya for a good hour. Turns out you was stuck behind the couch. No idea how ya wedged yourself in there... As for 'zee eating shit he weren't s'posed to, well…” He goes silent for a moment. “I think there was quite a bit a that, even when he weren't a baby no more. An both a ya? Well, probably the time ya both managed ta get in the vents and get around the hive that way. It was all fun for ya at first, till 'zee got stuck an we had ta call someone ta saw the vents open ta get ya both out coz you refused to leave him be.”   
“huh..so if wwe wwere a good family for eachother then… wwhyd you and dad split? and wwhyd you separate all of us wwithout the other gettin vvisitation of the ones each kept? like did you think about us at all?”   
“Sometimes people fall outa love motherfucker. An, I know it sounded good from what I been tellin you, but we weren't perfect. You're pa an I got to be disagreein a whole lot more, an yall got a little neglected in the middle a it. The thick an thin a the divorce was, 'loz an Cro just didn't get along. They fought. Regularly. No matter what we did. Child services didn't want em under the same roof. After that, 'loz refused ta let 'zee be without him, and you went with your pa an Cro ta make it even.”   
“but like, no vvisitation exceptions for us little ones? to see our twwin and our big brother? howw did wwe react as babies? cro said you wwere his favvorite, howw did he take that?” He's nearly crushing Karkat's hand.   
Garroth sighs. “I don't know. Maybe they thought you'd end up fightin like the older two. I don't know bout you, but 'zee cried the whole first night without you there. Cro didn't take it very well either. He snuck over ta see me a whole bunch, complainin and shit, which 'loz didn't like too much. Honestly I sorta wish they woulda made an exception. 'Zee might not a got so bad if you was around. Not like I'm one to say nothin', leavin him alone while I was at work like I did.”  
“awwww...dad nevver told me wwhat happened wwith me after. i think he kneww cro wwas goin ovver but didnt havve the energy to stop him. i knoww cro wwas pretty vviolent for a year and he said dad wwas hella depressed and tired for a wwhile. wwhich one of you had us? or just- wwho in general?”   
“It was your pa who'd ended up carryin you. He sure is a trooper. Sounded painful as all hell, an he did it four times over.”   
“four times..? do you mean like, in twwo pairs, or wwere there others?”   
“As in, two pairs. Good lord, I could not have delt with any more a that horsehit if I wanted to.”   
“i meant like, others wwho didnt make it- havve you found a neww matesprit since then or no?”  
“Nah, we got pretty lucky in that regard. It was just you, Cro, 'loz and 'zee, an that's it. Survivin or otherwise. And, no, I haven't found a new matesprit since then. Never quite got over it, no matter how I tried.”   
“you twwo nevver tried to reconsile..? nevver figured that maybe the other felt the same wway?”  
“It's not that easy. We weren't good for eachother, an it took four wrigglers an a whole shitton a problems for us to realize it. Havin feelins for someone is a hell of a lot different from actually bein good for each other.”   
“and you nevver tried to see a counselor or somethin about it?”   
“Hell no. I don't trust other people's buttin in on my relationship. maybe it wwould havve helped though.”   
He narrowed his eyes. “Aint shit noone coulda done and that's what I'm stickin to.”   
“there is a lot of shit anyone could havve done.”   
“Oh yeah? Think you know better'n me? Just like yer fuckin pa. If yer such an expert, why don't ya go an tell him what you just said ta me, an see how he responds. Aint shit anyone coulda done.”   
“i- ...wwoww. okay.” He frowns a little at him. “im tellin you wwhat anyone wwith common sense wwould. if you think youre abovve common sense, then go find thoamas paine and get him to hit you ovver the head wwith his book.”   
“Listen, I know what the motherfuck I'm talkin about. You don't know nothin about it, an I get that yer tryin ta help, but it's not gonna work out.”   
“wwell sorry i wwanted a normal fuckin family to at least groww up knowwin you and kurloz and gamzee and havve a household that lovved eachother and kneww wwhen to get help instead of just breakin things off so i didnt havve to groww up feelin like neither parent wwanted me.”  
“Listen, I really am sorry for the way things turned out. If I could undo it, I would. But I can't go back an change it. An your pa... He just won't have nothin to do with me no more. I wish I coulda done somethin for you. For- well all a you. That woulda made things turn out better.”   
“like maybe quittin bein stubborn and gettin help? because for fucks sake a marriage isnt alwways about wwhat you think.”   
He sighed heavily, putting his face in his palms. “I'll see what I can get to be doin, but I've a feelin it's a little too late…”   
“you think? ill see wwhat dad can do i guess but youvve gotta recognize that it wwas kind of a dumb thought thinkin nobody could help if the 9 swweep old has to tell you this stuff.”   
“Yeah, guess I'm just a stubborn old goat as always. This has been nice though. Reminds me a when Cro used ta visit me.”   
“im glad it has been,” Eridan purred, smiling a little more. “im glad i got to come talk to you.”  
“Yeah, me too. God, you sure did get big... Well, I guess ya have my address if ya ever want ta come over for more stories. I got shit ta do today, so I'll see ya some other time.” He motions toward the door.   
Eridan gets up with a nod, still holding onto Karkat. He waves to him as he heads toward the door. “it wwas lovvely seein you..ill be sure to come by soon.”   
Garroth nods, waving goodbye. “Sure thing.”   
Eridan takes Karkat back outside to the car, where the first thing he does is turn and hug him tightly. Karkat is taken aback for a moment, but hugs him back. Eridan gives him a squeeze. “that wwas perfect kar... thank you so much.”  
“IT WAS NO PROBLEM, REALLY. IM GLAD IT WENT WELL. I MIGHT BE JUST A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED HE DIDNT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GAMZEE, THOUGH…”   
“its okay..you got his early life at least, right?”   
“YEAH. IT DOES SORT OF MAKE SENSE, TOO. HE WAS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WHEN HE WAS OLDER.”   
“makes sense… just didnt get himself stuck in a vvent i hope.”   
“... HE DID. HE DID GET HIMSELF STUCK IN THE VENTS ONCE.”   
“...history repeats itself i guess- sorry i just had you sit there wwith me, i got really excited.”   
“ITS FINE. ITS WAS KIND OF INTERESTING FOR ME TOO.”   
“ill let you ask some questions next time too.” He smiles softly, letting go of Karkat and going to get into his car.   
Karkat gets in as well, smiling softly. “... YOUR OTHER OLDER BROTHER, KURLOZ, I COULD FIND OUT WHERE HE IS TOO. IF YOU WANT TO.”   
“hmm..maybe. i dunno howw hed feel about me..i think somethin probably happened to him too…”   
“YEAH, YOUR DAD TALKED LIKE SOMETHING HAPPENED. DO YOU WANT TO GET HIS FACEBOOK OR SOMETHING FIRST SO YOU CAN TALK TO HIM WITHOUT HAVING TO MEET HIM IN PERSON?”   
“probably. i feel like thats the better approach. talk to him THEN see him.”   
“ALRIGHT. ILL GET THE GUY TO FIND OUT, AND YOU CAN TALK TO HIM ALL YOU LIKE.”  
Karkat takes out his phone and contacts Sollux again. Sollux is very annoyed at this point, asking him what the hell he wanted this time. Karkat tells him to shut the fuck up and get Kurloz's contact info. He'd hiss at him if he could, but he can't, so he just gets back to work. “ALRIGHT, IT SHOULDNT BE LONG NOW. ESPECIALLY SINCE HE ALREADY KNOWS HIS NAME AND FAMILY.” He smiles at Eridan.   
Eridan nods, smiling sweetly. “its pretty cool you can just get this info. this is great.”   
“I MEAN, I DONT JUST *GET* IT, IT COST MONEY, BUT I GET THE MONEY FROM MY DAD SO ITS FINE.”   
“money from him? damn howw much do you get?”   
“AS MUCH AS I ASK FOR. HE HAS A BUCH LEFTOVER THAT HE DOESNT USE FROM FUCKING, MUGGING PEOPLE, OR WHATEVER HE USED TO DO.”   
“sounds like some gang leader” Eridan jokes, glancing over at him.  
“... EX-GANG LEADER. HE... QUIT WHEN HE STARTED A FAMILY.”  
“oh..? you okay?”   
“YEAH. HES NOT BAD, NOR IS HE VIOLENT TOWARDS US. HES A PRETTY GOOD DAD, HONESTLY. JUST A LITTLE BIT SHORT TEMPERED.”   
“thats good. i dont wwant you in an abusivve situation. i hate the idea of you hurt.”   
“WELL, I WOULDNT OFFER FOR HIM TO ADOPT A TWO YEAR OLD IF HE WAS ABUSIVE! PLUS, MISSY CALMS HIM DOWN PRETTY WELL, AND SHES A REALLY GOOD PERSON. BUT, THANKS. FOR WORRYING ABOUT ME.”   
“of course. i dont..i dont wwant you to die like evveryone else around me has…”   
Karkat feels... guilty... “HEY, DONT BLAME YOURSELF. IM NOT GOING ANYWHERE ANY TIME SOON.” He puts a hand on Eridan's shoulder.   
Eridan just sighs and shakes his head. “im wworried kar..maybe im just bad luck.”   
“NO, I DONT THINK YOURE BAD LUCK…”   
“then wwhy? wwhy is it evvery time someone has an interest in me that they die?”   
“... ITS- IM SORRY. I DONT KNOW... BUT ITS NOT YOU, OKAY?”   
“i cant be sure of that… maybe i just shouldnt date.”   
Should that make Karkat happy? It would mean he'd never get with anyone else, but it might also mean he'd never get with Karkat. “I... I DONT THINK YOU SHOULD GIVE UP. I UNDERSTAND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A BREAK, BUT... IM SURE YOURE NOT ‘BAD LUCK.’” Maybe he is, though, if he attracted someone like Karkat.   
Eridan just sniffles and shakes his head. “maybe… is it bad to just wwant a family at 9 swweeps?”  
“NO, ITS NOT BAD... I- I KIND OF WANT A FAMILY TOO.”   
“i hope you havve better luck findin someone than i do…”   
“THANKS. I- I HAVE SOMEONE, IN MIND, BUT I HAVENT HAD THE COURAGE TO CONFESS JUST YET…”   
“oh? wwho do you havve in mind?”   
Karkat looks away. “ID, RATHER NOT SAY…”   
Eridan nods. “alright..ill respect that decision.”   
Karkat nods. “THANKS.” He checks his phone really quick. Sollux has given him Kurloz's address and facebook page, as well as a price. Karkat grumbles and sends him the money, turning to Eridan. “OKAY, SO I GOT HIS FACEBOOK PAGE. YOU WANT TO TALK TO HIM NOW?”   
“lets get off the road first. wwanna head ovver to my house?”  
“YEAH, SURE.”   
“awwesome.” Eridan turns up the radio and finishes the drive silently, parking in the driveway.


	4. Two down, one to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurloz is talked to, and still nobody has information on Gamzee's whereabouts

Karkat hops out of the car, waiting for Eridan to open the door. Erodan grabs his keys from his pocket, going and unlocking the door for him. “rooms the second on the left.” Karkat nods, already headed to the room. Eridan shuts the door and follows behind. “my rooms a little messy, ignore it.”  
Karkat nods again, sitting on the bed. “YEAH ITS FINE. MY ROOMS NEVER MUCH BETTER. SO DID YOU WANT ME TO SEND YOU A LINK TO KURLOZ'S FACEBOOK?”  
“yeah, please do. man this is excitin.” He nods, sending Eridan the link over trollian, remembering that Eridan never gave him his number. Eridan taps the link quickly, and it's off to Kurloz's page. He sends him a 'hello', then lays back a bit “hell yeah. this is good.” After a minute, Kurloz replies, asking who 'this motherfucker' is. He texts back excitedly, introducing himself as Eridan Ampora and saying that he's Kurloz's little brother, name should be familiar. Kurloz is immediately more welcoming, asking him how he's doing and if he was getting along fine with Cronus, if he wasn't he could call him anytime, he would gladly beat up that douchebag. He says he's doing just fine and he's getting along just fine and that Cronus is a lot better. Kurloz tells him that's good, and asks him what's up and why he messaged him. He just says he was trying to get to know the other half of his family and he's already talked to their dad. He says okay, and asks him what he wanted to know. Just about childhood, growing up, and Kurloz himself. Kurloz tells him that his childhood wasn't the best. It was tough when Orpheus and Garroth started fighting, and tougher when they split. He went to school, made friends, fell in love, ect. He says that now he shares his apartment with his moirail. He's missed Eridan, and wished he could have seen him more. Oddly enough, he never mentions Gamzee or any "incident." Eridan looks over at Karkat Then back at the phone. "Im here with my twin's best friend. Can you tell me a little about him?" He doesn't reply for a while. Then, he says that Gamzee was too good for this cruel world, didn't deserve the hand he got dealt. Eridan tells him that… didn't really explain anything. He asks what happened. Kurloz says that he doesn't quite know. Gamzee had a lot of shit happen to him, one night he came home from school early, stomping around and looking real upset. Spent the rest of the day in his room. The next morning, he wasn't in his bed when Kurloz checked. He thinks he ran away from home. Hmm..tough. He'll see what he can do with Karkat first. “They called the legislacerators and everything?" He says that, yeah, they reported him missing, but they never found him. Not that it surprised Kurloz, he was always good at hiding. Eridan nodded, their dad said that they were both good at running off and not being found. Kurloz asked if there was anything else he wanted to know. Why he and Cronus didn't get along. Cronus wasn't a very nice person. He was bad at first, and terrible after Eridan and Gamzee were born. He also states that they were children and their concept of bad is always a little skewed, plus memories can be made up. He says he supposes that's true, but as far as he knows, Cronus hasn't changed, and every time he sees Cronus, he's picking on his moirail for his disability. He says Cronus is working on it with his boyfriends. That he has changed, but Kurloz has a natural bias. Kurloz is skeptical, but says he might give Cronus another chance. He sends him a smiley face and thanks that. Hopefully his family will be on the mends soon. They're still missing one person. Kurloz sends back a goodbye ending with a ':O).’ He says goodbye and that he'll talk later, then it's back to Karkat.  
“HEY, HOWD IT GO?”  
“it wwas okay. no neww info on gamzee”  
“YEAH, I GUESS I EXPECTED THAT” He sighs and layed back on the bed.  
“wwell havve to go search someday...see wwhat your hacker friend can do? i can lend you money”  
Karkat nods, taking out his phone to text Sollux again. “I DONT KNOW HOW MUCH HELL BE ABLE TO HELP, ASIDE FROM GETTING THE INFO FROM THE MISSING PERSONS CASE. HES PROBABLY BEEN PRESUMED DEAD BY THE POLICE BY NOW…”  
“hes gotta be out there somewwhere though, maybe under another name?”  
“... MAYBE. I TOLD SOLLUX WHAT HE LOOKS LIKE TOO, AND HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND SOMETHING IF HE DIGS DEEP ENOUGH. ALWAYS DOES, THOUGH ITS NEVER EVER CHEAP WHEN HE DOES.”  
“i can lend you money for it! trust me. wwevve got too much of it. wwe ARE vviolets after all.”  
Karkat chuckles. “YEAH, MY DAD WAS STARTING TO GET PISSED AT HOW MUCH IVE BEEN GIVING HIM LATELY, ANYWAY.”  
Eridan smiles and nods his head. “ask howw much it wwould be for a thorough deep divve.”  
Karkat nods and asks Sollux. It's definitely not cheap, “HE SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT STARTS AT $5,000.”  
“okay damn. wwhats our final cost?”  
“HE SAYS HE CANT SAY UNTIL HE FINISHES, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG IT TAKES/HOW DIFFICULT IT IS.”  
“thats bullshit. dont send him the money until hes done. thats a wweird movve.”  
“EH, IVE HEARD ABOUT ARTIST DOING THE SAME WITH COMMISSIONS. AND, THATS WHAT I ALWAYS DO, PAY HIM WHEN HES DONE.”  
“alright. ill givve you the money. does he do bank transfers or actual cash?”  
“BANK TRANSFERS. HE DOESNT GIVE OUT HIS ADDRESS OR ANYTHING FOR REAL CASH.”  
“man that sucks. i kinda wwanna vvisit him.”  
“HE DOESNT WANT ‘THE FEDS’ OR WHATEVER TO BE ABLE TO TRACK HIM. HE ALSO DOES IT TO AVOID BEING ASSASSINATED OR SOME SHIT. HE THINKS THEY MONITOR ALL OUR CONVERSATIONS.”  
“they dont?”  
“TRY TELLING HIM THAT. HES PARANOID AS FUCK ABOUT IT.”  
“wwell then i guess the fucker stays a mystery”  
:YEAH HES KIND OF A STUPID FUCKING BASTERD FOR ALL HES SO SMART.”  
“yeah… wwell havve to go find him. do you knoww his name?”  
“WHY DO WE NEED TO FIND HIM AGAIN? HIS NAME IS SOLLUX CAPTOR, BY THE WAY. I USUALLY DONT GIVE OUT PEOPLES NAMES LIKE THAT, BUT HES THE ONLY PERSON I KNOW THAT COULD USE SOMEONE'S NAME TO FIND THEM. AND ALSO BECAUSE FUCK THAT GUY.”  
“pff- youre fiery. wwe can go ask around. surely he knowws somebody.”  
“MAYBE. I CANT BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HIRES HIM. HE GOES BY AN ALIAS, THOUGH. USUALLY HIS TROLLIAN, TWINARMAGEDDONS.”  
“ill ask around. and surely feferi can get information. shes the heiress.”  
“YEAH, PROBABLY. THOUGH, THERES SOME THINGS EVEN THE HEIRESS DOESNT KNOW…”  
“like wwhat? wwhat does she not knoww that she couldnt possibly figure out?”  
“... MAYBE SOME PEOPLE ARE BETTER AT HIDING THINGS THAN OTHERS…” Silence.  
“are you implyin somethin?”  
“NO. JUST AN OBSERVATION.” He said quickly.  
“o..kay?” *Eridan is a little weirded out but generally ignores it. “i guess i should let you back home noww.”  
“... YEAH... OKAY.” Karkat sits up, kicking his feet a little.  
Eridan gets up with him. “here, lemme at least escort you to the door.”  
Karkat nods, starting to walk with Eridan out the door. “MY HOUSE ISNT TOO FAR FROM HERE, I CAN WALK HOME.”  
Eridan nods. “oh! thats good to hear, i guess. wwell be able to get in touch more often.”  
“YEAH. ITS... CONVENIENT.”  
“vvery convvenient! anywway, havve a safe wwalk! ill talk to you later.”  
“SEE YOU.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This RP is still ongoing, and as such this story is a work in progress.


	5. Even More Love Interests?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat has to find a way to eliminate this new challenger WITHOUT killing anyone...

Karkat walks toward his house until he is a couple blocks away before circling back around to sneak back into Eridan's house without him noticing. Eridan is in the kitchen when he gets there, back away from the door. Karkat slips inside silently, finding a place to hide and watch Eridan. Eridan is just making some dinner, and an hour later his brother and his boyfriends show up. Two familiar faces. One winged, the other arrow-horned. Karkat watches them. He doesn't think of any of them as threats, as one is his brother and they're all in a relationship, but he is intrigued by the one with wings. He looks sort of familiar, especially in the horn department... He brushes it off and checks his phone for updates from Sollux, not expecting anything this soon, just passing time. Sollux has got..nothing. Says it's incredibly hard to get anything at the moment. Eridan turns to greet the three, smiling softly. Karkat puts his phone up, turning his attention back to Eridan and his guests. He lets the three go to sit in the living room, though Rufioh lingers a bit with him. Karkat strains to listen to what they're saying, curious. Rufioh has his hands on Eridan's hips, resting his chin on his shoulder and watching him cook, just talking to him about his day and whatnot. Karkat narrows his eyes at Rufioh's touching of Eridan. He wonders why they would need to be so close- Rufioh is dating his brother, and they've got to be like six years apart. He thinks of all the ways he could dispose of him, but... He doesn't want Eridan to blame himself. Karkat wonders if there's a way to neutralize the threat other than murder... Perhaps there is, but for now, Rufioh isn't outright flirty and Eridan doesn't seem to mind. It’s rather hard to hear what they're saying now, Rufioh having quieted his voice. Karkat bites his lip. Nothing to worry about, right? He'll figure out what he can some other time. He struggles to stay still as he watches someone else touch Eridan... Eridan leans back into Rufioh and they continue to talk, in which Eridan's face tints. Karkat chokes back a growl. What the fuck is this guy's problem. What the hell does he want to do with Eridan when he's already got two boyfriends, the greedy bastard. Rufioh has invited him to join the relationship, he doesn't have to be dating Cronus to do so. Eridan says he'll think about it. Karkat brings his phone back out, asking Sollux to find out everything he can about him, and about his boyfriends, too, for good measure. He was going to stop this from happening, and if he couldn't just kill Rufioh, he'd stop it some other way. He tells him it'll cost him a good amount of money before he's back into searching. Rufioh kisses the nape of Eridan's neck before going to talk about it with the other two. Karkat says he doesn't care. He'll pay him whatever he wants, just make it quick. Sollux sighs and gets to work with the info, getting Rufioh's to him first, then Cronus, then Horuss. Karkat asks about family as well. It might be useful. Sollux sends him Rufioh's information first again. Rufioh Nitram’s. Nitram... yeah, he definitely knows that name. He also knows their weak points… Rufioh's is his little brother. And his brother's are his legs, and confidence... Karkat can work with this…   
For now, Rufioh is getting cuddled up on the couch with his two official boyfriends, wings fluttering softly. Eridan gets dinner made and calls the others in. Karkat watches them, unable to fully decide whether he wants to gaze at Eridan, or glare at Rufioh. Eridan sets of food for everyone and then sets his own plate up, everyone starting to eat. Karkat bites his lip. He forgot to bring his own food this time, and is getting a little hungry. The smell of the food hits his nose, and he winces as his stomach growls. He hopes no one besides him heard that, but they don't seem to notice, busy talking and chatting. Rufioh suggests a group snuggle to see if Eridan is comfortable. Karkat holds his breath, trying to calm himself. It won't help anything if he gets caught now. They agree to it and quickly go through dinner. Eridan leaves the pot of leftovers by the sink to wrap up later. Karkat closes his eyes, checking his phone again and thinking of ways to stop this. Sollux has a bit more info on Horuss. Horuss Zahhak. Indigoblood. The three start to head to the living room. Great. Karkat purposely messes around on his phone in order to not look at them. They get settled on the couch, Cronus laying against the arm of the couch. Horuss settles between his legs, back toward him, resting on his head on Cronus's chest. Then it's Eridan's turn. Gently he lays on his stomach, head resting on Horuss' shoulder. Rufioh crawls on top of him. They all do their respective wiggles to get comfy. Karkat feels his face heating up. He covers his face, trying, trying, not to growl. They all settle eventually, and it's Cronus who's the first to start purring, which triggers Eridan's. Eridan's is similar to Cronus', but it's lighter and sweeter, not as deep or rumbly. Karkat loves Eridan's purr, and wants to hear it more. He focuses on that instead of the fact he's cuddling with other people. The other two start to purr as well, both light and airy. Cronus' is the deepest purr. Karkat, feeling like they wouldn't hear him, started up a low rumble himself. They don't hear quite yet, too caught up in each other's purring. Karkat's purr continues, and he starts to slowly fall asleep. The four whisper a bit about a movie. Sollux is shoving information about the three at Karkat. Karkat looks at his phone bleary eyed for a moment before he gives up and lets himself sleep. His mouth is hanging open and he's snoring quietly.   
Hours after Karkat falls asleep, everyone else heads out and Eridan is left to clean it all up, starting to move around the house. Karkat startles awake, peering from his hiding spot to watch Eridan. He's getting dishes cleaned up, humming to himself as he works quickly at the sink. Karkat keeps watching, staring at Eridan's ass a little. Eridan is swaying his hips, humming softly to himself as he cleans out the dishes. Karkat bites his lip, slightly considering reaching down into his pants. Eridan still seems unaware of Karkat’s presence, finishing up the dishes and going to clean the table. Karkat bites his lip. Now that he’s thought about it, he can’t stop thinking about it. He unbuttons his jeans, rubbing himself through his underwear. He closes his eyes and sighs, picturing Eridan above him, rubbing him instead. It's rather unfortunate that Eridan isn't. He seems to have nice hands for it, if look is anything to go by. He keeps swaying his hips to an invisible tune as he cleans. Karkat sighs as his bulge starts to peak out of his sheath, still rubbing at it through his underwear. Eridan goes about putting things in the cabinets and drawers before he cocks a hip and decides he's done, giving a satisfied sigh as he heads to his room. Karkat bites his lip, waiting for Eridan to be out of sight before silently darting after him. Eridan heads up to his room, biting his lip and goes up to his computer. Rufioh had been a little handsy and it left his poor body confused. Karkat goes after Eridan, sliding into the closet and watching him, his hand still down his pants. Eridan opens up the incognito browser, looking around the site for something he could get off to. So many options… he eventually clicks a video on overstimulation, something he enjoyed. Karkat moves his hand into his underwear, stroking at his bulge. Eridan gets back up on his knees, just like the other night, just trying his fingers this time. Karkat holds back a noise, licking his lips as he moves to slip a finger into his nook. Eridan leans down, resting his head on his arm and just listening to the audio as he fingers himself, bulge thrashing and curling. Karkat huffs a little, accidentally letting out a chirp as he slips a second finger in. He thinks maybe it was covered by the audio of the porn, but he bites his lip, trying not to make any more. Eridan stops. He pauses the video. Slowly, he survey's the room. He shrugs. Maybe he made the noise and didn't realize..? Karkat swallows, moving his fingers in and out of himself. He scoots a little further back, as if that would hide him better, as Eridan looks around the room, relieved when he realizes Eridan didn't think anything of it. Eridan unpauses the video, slowly going back to fingering himself. He still won't touch his nook, presumably preserving it for somebody else. Karkat licks his lips, rolling his hips onto his own hand. He wants to be the first one to fuck Eridan, make him moan for him.  
Eridan of course doesn't know this. If anything, he himself thinks it'll probably be Rufioh who gets to him first. But that's just his thoughts in the current moment. He's not even officially joining the relationship yet. Karkat adds another finger, scissoring them apart as he imagines having Eridan underneath him… It’s probably quite the thought. Eridan is loud and he squirms and whines. Karkat pants softly, thrusting his fingers in and out as the other hand moves to stroke his bulge vigorously. Eridan feels close already, the thought of somebody soon to fill his nook. He groaned softly, biting his lip*  
Karkat gropes around for the bucket, feeling close himself. It's not there this time. Eridan decided to keep it under his desk this time, so he didn't have to clean anything up. Karkat bites his lip, taking in a deep breath. He stills the hand in his nook, looking for something else he can cum into. Iit appears that there's nothing, at least nothing that could be cleaned. Eridan's breath hitches and he lets out the prettiest moan as he spills into the bucket.  
Karkat bites down hard on his tongue, forcing himself to not cum. He decides on snatching down one of Eridan's fluffiest sweaters to try and absorb his genmat, stuffing it between his legs as he fingers his nook. Eridan pants, stopping the video as he collects himself. He closes the tab, sitting back. He takes a minute before getting up, deciding to go empty the pail.   
Karkat bites his lip as he cums, soaking his pants, underwear, and the sweater, but thankfully not getting any on the floor of the closet. Eridan returns later with a clean pail, shuffling over to the closet to put it away. Karkat scoots back, trying to bury himself entirely before Eridan opens the door. Eridan yawns to himself, opening the door and setting the bucket down, not seeming to notice Karkat. Karkat holds his breath as the bucket is placed in the closet, nervously glancing at Eridan before Eridan goes. Eridan’s too tired to notice, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he heads for his bed. Karkat lets himself breathe again, careful to stay quiet as he watches Eridan silently. Eridan changes into pajamas, answers a couple texts, then puts his phone down to sleep. He seems to enjoy sleeping on his stomach.  
As soon as Eridan is asleep, Karkat leaves, taking the ruined sweater with him. He goes straight home, but messages a family friend about needing help with something. They reply, asking him what the issue is. They can't help unless he tells him. Karkat rolls his eyes, but tells them the truth; he needs help kidnapping someone.  
Who? Why? And more importantly; when? They need answers. And probably a bit of cash.  
Karkat grumbles. Tavros Nitram, the reason is unimportant, and the time will be in the afternoon tomorrow. He'll be able to give them as much as they need and tell them what to do as it happens, just stop asking questions, damn it. They don't want to, but begrudgingly they agree, starting to form a plan. Karkat plans it out a little with them before going back home and cleaning himself up, quickly checking Tavros' chumhandle so he can message him in the morning.


	6. Don't take cookies from strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karkat decides the best way to get to Rufioh is through Tavros

Tavros is active on Trollian, not really doing much except reading old chats with Gamzee. Karkat takes the opportunity to say hi, he hasn't seen Tavros in a long time, does he think they could hang out sometime?  
Tavros takes a minute to reply,   
AT: oH, uH,,, yEAH SURE, wE CAN HANG OUT, iM NOT REALLY BUSY, dID YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND?  
CG: NOT REALLY, THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD JUST HANG AT YOUR PLACE. I CAN BRING COOKIES (:B  
Karkat groans. Maybe that smiley was a bit too friendly for him.  
AT: mY PLACE SOUNDS FINE, yOU REMEMBER MY ADDRESS, rIGHT? }:)  
CG: YEAH, I DO. IF YOU HAVEN'T MOVED, I CAN GET THERE EASY. HOW DOES TOMORROW AFTERNOON SOUND?  
AT: iT SOUNDS PERFECT, gIVES ME TIME TO CLEAN UP, iLL SEE YOU THEN, i GUESS, i LOOK FORWARD TO IT! }:D  
CG: GREAT! SEE YOU THEN! I LOOK FORWARD TO CATCHING UP A LITTLE WITH YOU  
Tavros sends a final smiley before logging off, going to clean up his house for the next day. Karkat sets his phone down, getting ready for bed. He has a long day ahead of him, after all.  
Tavros is up early the next morning, making himself breakfast and finishing his cleaning, awaiting Karkat's arrival. Karkat gets there when he said he would, a plate full of cookies with him. Tavros opens the door for him with a bright smile, waving to him. “HEY KARKAT, cOME ON IN.”  
Karkat smiles back, coming inside. “YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE CHIP, RIGHT? I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT KIND OF COOKIES YOU LIKE.”  
“cHOCOLATE CHIP AND PEANUT BUTTER ARE MY UH,, fAVORITES” Tavros chirped, wheeling his way over to the couch and climbing on it, “aND UH,,tHANKS FOR BRINGING COOKIES, yOU DIDNT UH, hAVE TO”  
Karkat smiles, setting them down. “I WANTED TO. DID YOU WANNA PLAY SOME VIDEO GAMES OR SOMETHING?” He took a cookie, watching Tavros as he held it in his hand.  
Instinctively, Tavros took a cookie as he nodded. “oF COURSE! wHAT DO YOU WANT TO PLAY?” He asks, taking a good bite of the cookie.  
Karkat smiles, shrugging as he takes a small bite of his own cookie. “HOW ABOUT MARIO KART?”  
“tHAT SOUNDS DOPE,” Tavros grins, finishing off the cookie quickly before searching for the game controller. “tHESE ARE REALLY GOOD BY THE WAY.”  
Karkat nods, eating his own cookie a little slower. “I CAN'T TAKE THE CREDIT, THOUGH. I ACTUALLY HAD A FRIEND MAKE THEM,” He bluffs. Eating them and saying someone else made them would shift suspicion off of him. The real reason he needed the friend's help was so he'd have an alibi, really... “I CAN'T BAKE FOR SHIT” He laughs.  
Tavros chuckles, grabbing another cookie. “wELL TELL YOUR FRIEND i UH,, sAID THANK YOU,” What was even in those cookies anyway? Just some sleeping powder, a little something Karkat got from his dad's locked room. He finishes his cookie off, taking out his phone to tell them that they were almost ready for the plan. “WILL DO.”  
Tavros finishes off the second cookie before handing Karkat a controller. “i'M UH, sO EXCITED YOU CAME OVER, i'VE BEEN REALLY LONELY SINCE GAMZEE DISAPPEARED,,”  
Karkat smiles softly, taking the controller. “YEAH. SORRY FOR NOT GETTING TO YOU SOONER I GUESS.” He takes another cookie as well, eating it quicker. He knows the substance is there, which is why he notices himself getting slightly groggy. “I GUESS I WAS TRYING TO DEAL WITH IT, TOO.”  
Tavros yawns softly after a little bit. “i GET IT, iTS FINE, hE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF US,,i MISS HIM,”  
Karkat nods, yawning as well. “YEAH... I'M... TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE HE IS, ACTUALLY.”  
“yOU GOT ANY IDEA?” Tavros asks, leaning back a little bit.  
Karkat checks his phone for updates from Sollux. “NO IDEA, BUT I HAVE A FRIEND WHO'S TRYING TO DIG STUFF UP OFF THE INTERNET.” His messages are empty. Damnit Sollux hurry up.  
“oHH THATS SMART” * Tavros replies, yawning again. “oH UH,,SORRY IM JUST SUPER TIRED SUDDENLY, i, dUNNO WHY”  
Karkat yawns as well, setting his phone down. “FUCK, ME TOO…” He rubs at his eyes sleepily.  
Tavros leans on Karkat slightly, yawning again. “i'D SUGGEST WE, uH,, nAP TOGETHER BUT THATS SOUNDS WEIRD AS HELL”  
Karkat giggles, yawning as well. “RIGHT NOW? I DON'T GIVE A SHIT. LETS JUST TAKE A NAP TOGETHER PLATONICALLY.”  
Tavros nods, leaning on Karkat more heavily now. “sOUNDS LIKE A,, uH DEAL TO ME”  
Karkat closes his eyes, leaning on Tavros as well. “GREAT…”  
It doesn't take Tavros long to be out like a light. Karkat falls asleep as well. Now he just has to wait for the family friend to take them to the designated spot. It's not long before the person is over, putting them both in the car and driving them over. Karkat snores softly, blinking awake after a while and looking around in confusion before remembering. He smiles, seeing that they had done as he asked, Tavros is tied up and blind folded, he is not. There's a camera already set up for him and he gets up, stretching.  
Tavros has yet to wake, still snoring softly, though he shifts a bit. He'll be up soon. Karkat smiles, going over to turn the camera on. He looks around for his accomplice, wondering if they're still here or if they left, but they appear to be gone for now. Tavros yawns softly, starting to wake. Karkat sighs, getting a text to speech generator ready. He types something in as he waits for Tavros to wake.  
Tavros stirs after a moment, yawning softly “kARKAT,,? yOU STILL THERE?”  
Karkat bites his lip, staying silent. He taps the button to play the text: “good evening tavros. i was wondering when you were going to wake up,” The robotic voice echos through the room, mispronouncing his name.  
Tavros pricks his ears a little, soon realizing that this was all..very off. “uH,, kARKAT,,? aRE YOU THERE DUDE? wHERE ARE WE?”  
Karkat typed something else in. “karkat cannot talk to you right now. where you are is unimportant, only what comes next. do you want to see your family again? your brother?”  
Tavros is so confused and he's starting to get scared, whimpering a little. “u-UH,, yEAH, wHY?”  
“just do what i ask,” Karkat types. “talk like you are talking to him, asking him to help you. he will see it.”  
“wHAT,, r-RUFIOH?” His ears flick down slightly, starting to struggle a little bit. “rUFIOH? pLEASE, pLEASE HELP ME,, i DONT KNOW WHERE i AM A-AND i DONT KNOW WHERE MY FRIEND IS THEY TOOK HIM,, pLEASE PLEASE COME HELP,,” He whines again. “pLEASE LET ME GO,,”  
Karkat looks at the camera, making sure it got that before stopping the recording. “very good. your freedom depends on his cooperation.” He picks up the camera, taking it to a computer where he plugs it in and uploads it. He clicks his tongue, finding a way to contact Rufioh anonymously and tell him to back off of Eridan.  
Tavros struggles a little more. “pLEASE,, pLEASE LET ME GO, i DIDNT DO ANYTHING,,” Karkat rolls his eyes, ignoring Tavros as he waits for a response, but he justs whines louder. “pLEASE! pLEASE LET ME GO,, rEALLY,, pLEASE?” Rufioh takes about half an hour for a response from Rufioh, who's, predictably, freaking out. Karkat tells him that if he doesn't comply that he can and will hurt his brother. Rufioh agrees immediately, just begging to get his brother back. Family always comes first. Satisfied, Karkat gives him the place where Tavros is, getting up and going to knock Tavros out before untying him. Tavros whines softly before he's out again. Rufioh is quick to head for the place. Karkat flees quickly before he arrives. It's fairly far away, and he's long gone when Rufioh gets there. Rufioh picks up his brother, hugging him closely before leaving.  
Karkat arrives home, exhausted. He bites his lip, messaging Tavros to ask where he is- if he's okay.  
Tavros messages back as quick as he can, saying he’s home safe. Somebody had taken him, but he’s home now.  
CG: GOOD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, I JUST WOKE UP IN MY HOUSE. I WENT BACK TO YOURS, BUT I GOT WORRIED WHEN YOU WEREN'T THERE.  
AT: i'M SO SO SORRY ABOUT THAT i,,i DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED OR WHY  
CG: YEAH, NEITHER DO I. MAYBE IT WAS THE COOKIES? WE BOTH STARTED FEELING TIRED AFTER WE ATE THEM  
AT: mAYBE,, tHE FRIEND WHO MADE THEM SUCKS,  
CG: YEAH, TOTALLY. WONDER WHAT THE FUCK HE EVEN DID THAT FOR.  
AT: mAYBE ITS SOME SICK JOKE,,,BE CAREFUL PLEASE  
CG: OKAY, I WILL. MAYBE I SHOULD CALL THE COPS ON THEM. THAT WAS PRETTY FUCKED UP  
AT: mAYBE,, iM NOT HURT THOUGH  
CG: OKAY, IF YOU SAY SO. I'LL CUT OFF CONTACT WITH THEM, THOUGH  
AT: pLEASE DO,, rUFIOH IS REALLY STRESSED OUT  
CG: YEAH, OKAY. IF I'D KNOWN THEY WERE SUCH A BAD PERSON I'D NEVER HAVE HAD THEM MAKE THE COOKIES IN THE FIRST PLACE. I'M SORRY.  
AT: iT'S OKAY, iTS NOT YOUR FAULT,, i HOPE YOURE OKAY,, wATCH YOUR BACM  
CG: I WILL. THANKS. AND I'M FINE, TOO.  
AT: i GOTTA GO, iLL TALK TO YOU LATER  
CG: OKAY, SEE YOU AROUND.

**Author's Note:**

> RP partner's mental health not the best, updates will be slow! please be understanding and patient! :)


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